S1E3 - Theoretical Principles and Resources

Overview

Teaching: 3 min
Exercises: 0 min

Questions

• What are the goals and intended learning outcomes of this session?

Slides

Learning outcomes

• Get a clear understanding of the goals of this session and of the skil the learners are expected to acquire.

The workings of learning

• How do people learn?
• How does learning work?

Resources for you to learn more about how learning works

The Carpentries instructor training materials

http://carpentries.github.io/instructor-training/

Challenge: How do you go about learning something new? How do you approach learning new things? (3min + 5min)

• Which is the most effective approach for you to learn?
  • Read about it
  • Attend a training session!
  • Have a go?
  • Do, reflect, process, further understand?
• Make a list of three approaches that work for you when you want to learn something new (from the most complete to the least effective)
• Discuss it with your partner and compare.

Challenge: What is learning, in your opinion/experience? (5 min)

• Discuss with a partner and write in the GDoc one or more definitions of what learning is, in your opinion/experience.

Learning theory

There is no universal theory of learning, but evidence-based research results support some learning principles, which are today accepted and applied.

Six strategies for effective learning (based on evidence from cognitive research)

Six Strategies for Effective Learning, by Yana Weinstein, Megan Smith & Oliver Caviglioli is licensed under a Create Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. It is based on work that can be found at http://www.learningscientists.org, teachinghow2s.com/cogsci

Challenge: How do you understand the six strategies for effective learning? (10 min)

• Work in groups of three
• Carefully read the strategies as a group
• Pick one strategy you like (with no overlapping with the other groups)
• Discuss how you would implement it as teacher/instructor

7 evidence-based learning principles

Principle P1:

Students’ prior knowledge can help or hinder learning.

Principle P2:

How students organise knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know.

Principle P3:

Students motivation determines, directs and sustains what they do learn.

Principle P4:

To develop mastery, students must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned.

Principle P5:

Goal-directed practice coupled with targeted feedback enhances the quality of students’ learning.

Principle P6:

Students’ current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning.

Principle P7:

To become self-directed learners, students must learn to monitor and adjust their approaches to learning.

Challenge: How do you understand the seven principles of learning? (10 min)

• Work in groups of three.
• Carefully read the strategies as a group.
• Pick one principle that is not clear to you.
• Ask one question.

Challenge: Teaching or training? (3 min + 3 min)

• Based on your experience, what are in your opinion the differences between teaching and training?
• Identify two main differences
• Discuss them with your partner
• Write them in the Gdoc (share them with us)

Key Points

• Reflect upon concepts around learning, training and teaching.

• Internalize and learn to mentally structure several ideas and concepts related to learning, training and teaching.